Bella Terra

Costco opened its first store in Huntington Beach at Bella Terra at 8 a.m. Wednesday. It had been more than two years since the warehouse chain officials began planning to open the 7562 Center Ave. location. The store features a gas station, bakery, fresh meat and produce, an optical department, tire center, hearing aid center and food court, among other services. Mayor Don Hansen and Councilman Joe Carchio were among the city officials who attended the grand opening.

An alternative private school set to open in Huntington Beach this year has decided on a location near Bella Terra. Fusion Academy and Learning Center will open its door Dec. 13 at 7755 Center Drive, Suite 400. The school for sixth- to 12th-graders offers students one-on-one classes Monday to Thursday on their own schedules. The school doesn't assign homework, but gives students individual work that has to be done before students leave for the day. The alternative school started in San Diego out of a one-on-one tutoring and mentoring program and has expanded to Mission Viejo and now Huntington Beach.

Huntington Beach police arrested a registered sex offender Saturday after two customers reported he was following them and making suggestive comments at Barnes & Noble at Bella Terra. About 6:30 p.m., a 15-year-old girl reported that Charles Michael Metcalf, 53, of Tustin, was following her around the store, and she went to find her adult sister, who was also inside the store, Lt. Russell Reinhart said. Metcalf then allegedly approached the sisters and began making sexually suggestive comments, and the sisters went to the store manager, who called police.

The Hawes Elementary School choir is set to spread some holiday cheer in Huntington Beach. The Hawes Hawks Choir will sing a medley of songs at the amphitheater in the Bella Terra shopping center at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Fourth-grade teacher Shannon Sovern said the students will perform a 30-minute set of about 10 songs, depending on how prepared the youngsters are the day of the concert. "One [song's] a little rusty, so we might cut it," she said with a laugh. The songs aren't the usual popular favorites many people have come to know, Sovern said.

The toddler made a beeline for Twinkle as fast as her feet - wearing Cookie Monster shoes - would let her. Freeing herself from her father's grip, she aimed her blue eyes skyward and launched herself at a pair of legs clad in polka-dot tights, pink leg-warmers and high-tops. Standing nearby, her older sister, dressed in a printed tutu similar to Twinkle's, looked mesmerized by the painted hearts on the entertainer's cheeks. The lady in question - though not much taller than a teenager herself - responded to the children's sing-song goodbye with a flying kiss, in a blur of rainbow-colored nails and big, false eyelashes.

When Paolo Pestarino purchased his first restaurant five years ago, he was filled with hope. After years of experience as a cruise-line chef and cooking for such popular restaurants as Issay's in Newport Beach, Pestarino, 56, would finally be his own boss. Many business owners in the village, like Pestarino, were thrilled to hear about the construction of the Bella Terra outdoor mall just across Center Avenue, believing that it would draw shoppers to their stores as well, Pestarino said.

Bella Terra is giving Huntington Beach a taste of a traditional white Christmas with a nightly snow shower in its amphitheater. The faux snow falls in 15 shows set to holiday music. Sometimes there is even live music for the show, entertaining children and adults alike. ?They love it, absolutely love it,? said Nicole Peterson of the Bella Terra administration. The snow is a nontoxic foamy substance made up of many of the same properties as toothpaste, Peterson said. The snow is shot from snowblowers on buildings surrounding the amphitheater, where it drifts down for spectators.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission voted Tuesday night to approve the second complex of apartments and retail near the Bella Terra shopping center in one month. On a 6-1 vote, with only Commissioner Joe Shaw voting no, the commission approved plans for the Village at Bella Terra, a six-story complex with more than 700 apartments above new retailers meant to mesh with the original Bella Terra. On staff recommendation, the commission voted to allow significantly greater density and higher buildings than normal city guidelines.

Narrated by Edward Norton, “Bustin’ Down the Door” chronicles the trials of a group of South African and Australian surfers who revolutionized the sport. The film premieres at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. Directed by Jeremy Gosch, the documentary looks into the cultural conflicts during the ’70s at the North Shore of Oahu. Surfers Shaun Tomson, Mark Richards, Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, who is being inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame this year, Peter Townend and Ian Cairns all play roles in the film, which is Gosch’s first documentary.

The Hawes Elementary School choir is set to spread some holiday cheer in Huntington Beach. The Hawes Hawks Choir will sing a medley of songs at the amphitheater in the Bella Terra shopping center at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Fourth-grade teacher Shannon Sovern said the students will perform a 30-minute set of about 10 songs, depending on how prepared the youngsters are the day of the concert. "One [song's] a little rusty, so we might cut it," she said with a laugh. The songs aren't the usual popular favorites many people have come to know, Sovern said.

With a multicultural celebration at Old World Village and Santa Claus sightings expected throughout the city, the holiday season is coming to life in Huntington Beach. In a celebration of holiday diversity, the Old World shopping, dining and entertainment center will hold its 12th annual International Celebration of Christmas and live nativity play at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 in the festival hall. The event focuses on how "different cultures celebrate Christmas," said Old World German Restaurant owner Cyndie Kasko.

Fashion flash: Wish you were able to attend Fashion Week in New York City? South Coast Plaza is bringing the hottest in apparel, beauty and home décor to locals with its Live the Look event Thursday through Sunday. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Jewel Court, when E! Fashion Police's George Kotsiopoulos hosts an opening-night fashion show, and continues with a MAC beauty exhibit and model demonstration from noon to 7 p.m. Friday in the Jewel Court (along with public makeovers at certain times daily)

The long-awaited Pacific City development in Huntington Beach cleared a small hurdle Monday. The City Council voted unanimously to approve the plans for parking at the outdoor shopping center proposed for First Street and Pacific Coast Highway, though with an adjustment to the hours of operation for restaurants and bars. The item passed on the condition that restaurants and bars up to 27,000 square feet would be allowed to stay open until 2 a.m., and larger establishments would have to close at midnight.

The toddler made a beeline for Twinkle as fast as her feet - wearing Cookie Monster shoes - would let her. Freeing herself from her father's grip, she aimed her blue eyes skyward and launched herself at a pair of legs clad in polka-dot tights, pink leg-warmers and high-tops. Standing nearby, her older sister, dressed in a printed tutu similar to Twinkle's, looked mesmerized by the painted hearts on the entertainer's cheeks. The lady in question - though not much taller than a teenager herself - responded to the children's sing-song goodbye with a flying kiss, in a blur of rainbow-colored nails and big, false eyelashes.

The Huntington Beach Youth Character Awards will honor youths whose achievements demonstrate a commitment to qualities associated with good character. The ceremony, sponsored by the local Children's Needs Task Force and the city, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Bella Terra. The task force encourages local leaders to work with schools, outside agencies and the police to effectively identify the needs of children and develop an approach through which to meet these needs, according to its website.

A developer with local ties will try to make a long-delayed project - which eventually would bring condominiums, businesses and a hotel to downtown Huntington Beach - a reality. DJM Capital Partners announced in a press release last week that it purchased about 11 acres of the vacant 31-acre site designated for the Pacific City project. It will be the fourth developer to become involved in the project in the last eight years. Pacific City seeks to bring 516 residential units, shops, restaurants and an eight-story hotel to the site downtown on Pacific Coast Highway between First and Huntington streets.

Diane's Beachwear stands to turn a profit for the first time in its three years at Bella Terra, an outdoor shopping center in Huntington Beach. Diane's manager Kati Garcia said the Black Friday and Small Business on Saturday event were a sign of how things have improved for her store and most of the others at the bustling shopping center. "Everyone here was pretty packed," said Garcia, who's worked at the location for two years. "There were lines out the door for almost every store here.

Costco opened its first store in Huntington Beach at Bella Terra at 8 a.m. Wednesday. It had been more than two years since the warehouse chain officials began planning to open the 7562 Center Ave. location. The store features a gas station, bakery, fresh meat and produce, an optical department, tire center, hearing aid center and food court, among other services. Mayor Don Hansen and Councilman Joe Carchio were among the city officials who attended the grand opening.

THURSDAY Skateboarding Author Jason Ellis, professional skateboarder and author of "I'm Awesome: One Man's Triumphant Quest to Become the Sweetest Dude Ever," signs his book at Barnes & Noble, Bella Terra, 7881 Edinger Ave. Unit 110, Huntington Beach. The free event starts at 7 p.m. For more information, call (714) 897-8781. THURSDAY TILL SUNDAY 'Our Town' The Academy for the Performing Arts presents Thornton Wilder's play "Our Town" at the Huntington Beach High School auditorium, 1905 Main St. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, and tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for students and seniors.